


Of Watches, Werewolf Bed Invasions, and Tentative Progress in Righting Past Wrongs

by Diary



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Aiden & Allison Argent, Alive Vernon Boyd & Erica Reyes, Allison Argent & Lydia Martin Friendship, Alpha Derek Hale, Awkwardness, Bechdel Test Pass, Brothers, Canon Character of Color, Canon Gay Character, Families of Choice, Father-Daughter Relationship, Female Protagonists, Friendship/Love, Holding Hands, Late Night Conversations, Literal Sleeping Together, Mental Health Issues, Minor Aiden/Lydia Martin, Minor Ethan/Danny Mahealani, Morally Ambiguous Peter Hale, Past Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Post-Season/Series 02 AU, Sharing a Bed, Twins, Twins in Bunk Beds, Vernon Boyd & Erica Reyes Return to Beacon Hills
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 17:13:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12536972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: An AU in which Erica can't sleep unless there's someone in bed with her, Ethan finds himself reduced to being the "gay twin", Allison works on forming a better relationship with Erica, and Peter is Peter. Complete.





	Of Watches, Werewolf Bed Invasions, and Tentative Progress in Righting Past Wrongs

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Teen Wolf.

They wake up to Erica Reyes breaking into their window.

“Really,” Aiden demands.

Taking in their fighting stances, she rolls her eyes. “Which one of you is the gay one?”

They chance a glance at one another.

Starting to undress, she says, “Seriously, I’m not dealing with Lydia frelling Martin. And I know one of you really doesn’t want to, either. Danny a. wouldn’t care, and b. actually doesn’t need to know.”

Both carefully keep their eyes on her face, and Aiden continues, “What in the hell are you doing?"

“You know what? I don’t care. I hope whichever of you has the bottom bunk is the gay one, but if not-”

“Werewolves don’t usually have gay and straight,” Ethan says. “But all the same, I’m the gay one, and I have the top bunk.”

“Nice to finally have that cleared up.” Striding over, she grabs Ethan’s wrist, and dodging, she slashes Aiden across the face when he tries to grab her. “C’mon. I’m tired of being sleep-deprived.”

Climbing the ladder, she pokes at Ethan's head. “I will start tearing your hair out, soon."

Sharing another glance, Aiden shrugs and tosses Ethan a t-shirt.

“That had better be clean,” Erica says.

Ethan sniffs it. “It is.”

Slipping it on, he tentatively climbs onto the bed.

Ignoring Aiden’s presence on the ladder, Erica presses against Ethan’s sitting body, and in less than ten minutes, she’s sound asleep.

“There’s an omega in my bed,” Ethan hisses.

“Technically, she might still be part of Derek’s pack.”

“There’s a werewolf we once kidnapped for almost four months in my bed,” is the louder hiss.

“Think we should try Deucalion?”

Ethan considers it. “Derek might be better.”

“We’re not telling him that his beta we helped kidnap is currently sleeping naked in one of our beds. Her just being in the apartment, regardless of her state of dress, would probably set him off.”

“She’s not completely naked,” Ethan points out.

Aiden quickly glances at her.

“Near enough,” is his pronouncement.

“I’m going to try to get down.”

He manages to get down without her stirring, and turning off the lights, they manage to arrange themselves on Aiden’s bed.

…

Erica wakes up, and before she’s down the ladder, they wake, too.

Sleepy, gold eyes irritably take them in, and landing on Ethan’s shirt, she drags him by his wrist back up the ladder.

…

They quickly establish Erica is disinclined to answer their questions or take their repeated suggestion she use the door. How exactly she knows, they can’t figure out, but even when Ethan goes to bed first, she always waits until both are ready to sleep to show up through the window. Once she does, she undresses and falls asleep soon after she and Ethan get in bed.

At around six every morning, she leaves via the window.

…

It’s three something in the morning, and there’s a knock on their door.

Aiden opens the front door to Chris and Allison Argent. Glancing at the closed bedroom door, he says, “Come in. It’s the Argents.”

“Where’s your brother,” Allison asks.

“Aiden. Ethan- has a guest.”

“Oh, Danny?” Allison glances apologetically at the door. “I didn’t stop to think-”

“Not that kind of guest. What are you two doing here?”

“First, this guest of your brother’s, are they human?”

“Dad, whoever Ethan has over, it isn’t our concern.”

“It is if ‘guest’ is a term for prisoner.”

“Unlike you with your specially designed basement, we don’t keep prisoners in our house. In answer to your question, though, no. Again, why are you here?”

“We-” Allison starts.

“Then, you won’t mind if we-” Chris interrupts.

“Look, we were once allies. But that’s unlikely to always hold. If say, a wolf running from hunters came, there’s a chance we’d put them over you. Take note of the fact I’m not claiming that’s the case in this instance, but it’s one example of why we might say, ‘Yes, we do mind.’”

Allison glances at the bedroom door. “Dad, the twins have never hurt humans. If they have someone inside who has, that person isn’t hurting anyone right now. When they eventually leave-” She trails off.

“As someone who has kept prisoners, I know that location is rarely sacred. You kept two teenagers in an abandoned bank. You could protect another werewolf, yes, but you could also keep an innocent one hostage.” Chris looks towards the door. “Your brother, at least, could come out, couldn’t you, Ethan?”

Slipping out of the darkened room, Ethan closes the door behind him. Tossing Aiden a shirt, he looks at the Argents. “We don’t have any prisoners. You’re, uh, not going to tell Danny or Lydia about something that isn’t your business, are you?”

Allison gives them both a look. “If one of you is cheating- I won’t be stopping my best friend or Danny from painfully murdering you. But I’m not here on either of their behalves. There’s been a rash of animal attacks over the last week, and earlier tonight, we found this near the nemeton.” She holds up a necklace. “I remember seeing Morell wearing something similar to it once. Do you think she might be up to something or that Jennifer Blake might be back?”

Taking it, Aiden sniffs it before handing it to Ethan.

Sniffing it, too, Ethan shakes his head. “This probably belonged to a human girl. Doesn’t mean there isn’t a druid running around, but if so, I don’t think this is connected to them.”

“We can try contacting Deucalion, if you want,” Aiden offers. Glancing at his watch, he says, “But right now, you should get back to our guest.”

Nodding, Ethan slips back into the bedroom.

Chris glares at Aiden.

“No, we’d consider it a favour if you didn’t try contacting Deucalion,” Allison says.

“Good with us.”

“Shouldn’t your brother have a say,” Chris inquires.

“Dad-”

“Allison, if they have someone of interest to other hunters, we can agree to leave them all alone until the person of interest leaves this apartment or until another human enters with them still in here. But if they have a prisoner, and we walk away-” He lets the sentence hang.

Ethan slips back out. “We don’t have a prisoner.”

“You both have helped us in the past. However, that alone isn’t reason enough for us to blindly-”

The bedroom door starts to open, and withdrawing his gun, Chris blocks the two from going over.

Erica wanders out, and with fury in her eyes, Allison knocks Ethan down with an electric baton.

Taking in the scene with sleepy golden eyes, Erica frowns as she looks between the two shirt-clad twins. Then, blinking, her eyes return to their human colour, and she sighs. “Where’s Boyd? More importantly, who committed suicide this time, and why couldn’t you have let me get a good night’s sleep before you went on your crusade? You haven’t killed him, have you?”

“Boyd’s fine,” Aiden says. “Gun is on me, I know.” Slowly, he strips his shirt off, moves over, and deftly puts it on Erica.

As her frown increases, Aiden helps Ethan up. “Okay, look,” he holds up his right arm, “watch on the right means dating Lydia.” He lifts up Ethan’s left arm. “Watch on the left means gay one.”

Erica tilts her head.

“We don’t know for sure you’re straight,” Ethan grumbles with a wary look at the poised baton.

“Which is why I said ‘dating Lydia’.”

“Wouldn’t that-” Chris is cut off by three sets of exasperated eyes.

“Most werewolves, born ones, anyway, are naturally bi or pansexual. Ethan’s a rarity, in that he’s only ever experienced attraction to one sex. We don’t know yet if I am, too,” Aiden explains.

“So far, Lydia’s the only person he’s ever liked like that,” Ethan adds.  

Seeing Erica is looking between her watch and everyone else’s, Ethan rolls his eyes. “Most people, including the four of us, are right-handed. We wear our watches on our non-dominant arm. Aiden’s left-handed, and so, his right arm is his non-dominant one.”

“Why,” Erica asks.

“Erica.” Allison moves over. “Why are you here? Naked?”

“Not naked,” Erica says. Gesturing down to the shirt, and then, lifting it, she reveals her panties. “Besides, I had these on before the shirt.”

“Okay.” Allison pulls the shirt back down. “What were you doing in the twins’ room?”

“Sleeping.”

“Erica, I need you to wake up a little more and try to see how this looks to me and my dad.”

Giving her a confused, vaguely disdainful look, Erica shakes her head. “I’m awake. If this is about Lydia, I was sleeping with the gay one. Or at least, I think I was. I didn’t know about the watches until now. One of them wears shirts.”

“She broke in about a month ago and decided my bed with me in it was her new sleeping place, regardless of what I thought. Thanks for the almost lethal voltage of electricity, though.”

“You didn’t even lose consciousness. And you held her in a vault for three months.”

“Right, and we caught her after who was holding her in whose basement where so much electricity was shot through her and Boyd, they were too weak to run at full speed, never mind even attempt to properly fight us off,” is Aiden’s retort.

“I have a chem. test tomorrow!” Erica glares. “If there’s not going to be any fighting, can we please go back to bed?”

“Erica, why are you sleeping with the gay twin,” Chris asks.

“It’s Ethan, by the way,” said twin offers.

“Because, I really don’t want to deal with Lydia or her on Lydia’s behalf,” Erica answers with a nod towards Allison.

“That’s- why aren’t you at home?”

“I need to sleep with someone. Derek refuses to let me sleep with him, and Peter was willing, but Derek literally threatened to kill him if he did. Not only is Isaac living with Scott and Nurse Melissa, but he’d probably go on about how he can’t because of her.” She shoots Allison another glare. “And Lydia would probably be the same. Plus, I don’t know if she still does, but she used to have guys staying with her all the time.”

Aiden makes a small noise.

“What about Boyd,” Allison asks.

“Boyd and I disagree on some fundamental things to the point we’re no longer speaking.”

“Getting to everything else in just a minute: How is it you’re sleeping next to a person who held you hostage?”

Erica blinks at Chris. “I didn’t have a choice about sleeping with them around sometimes. I just couldn’t fight off sleep. I’m used to them being around when I sleep, now.”

He shifts. “Naked, though?” Looking over, he studies the twins with hard eyes.

“Why is it men can go around with nothing but their penis and butt covered, and it’s all good, but a girl only wears panties or just shows her bare breasts, and everyone freaks? In answer to your sexist question, however, I don’t have a car, and I’m not walking around at night in my nightdress. I’m also not sleeping in my regular clothes.”

“If you can sleep around people who’ve hurt you, why didn’t you try them, then,” Aiden asks.

“Isaac told me the windows were electrified, and besides, they have weapons and kanima venom. You getting lucky in the woods and the vault doesn’t mean I don’t have a better chance at fighting werewolves than hunters who object to my presence. That’s also why I didn’t try Stiles, because, the sheriff doesn’t seem to like us very much now that he knows about us, and he could probably manage to throw me in a cell. Really, this is Derek’s fault. I liked sleeping with Peter.”

Allison gives Chris a long look before smiling slightly. “Erica, I promise, no weapons or kanima venom unless you try to attack us. Would you like to sleep with me?”

Giving them a startled look, Erica studies them. “Seriously?”

Allison nods.

“Sure. I’d rather sleep with a girl I’m not dating than a boy I’m not.”

“Good,” Allison says. “And maybe we can find you something to sleep in.”

“That new Wal-Mart is open 24/7. We’ll stop there and get something,” Chris firmly declares.

“Whatever. You can keep the shirt,” Aiden says.

“But let’s find your clothes and make sure you get them all,” Ethan adds.

They go to the bedroom, and Aiden tells Allison, “If you get up, you have about fifteen minutes before she wakes up and starts looking for you. If your bed is against the wall, you might want to have her sleep on that side. She once rolled right off Ethan’s.”

Allison winces.

“Yeah. Uh, if you put up a barrier with pillows or blankets, she’ll stay on her side, but if you don’t, she will end up pressed against you. She wakes up during school days at around six; you don’t have to do anything, she just naturally wakes up then. On weekends, she gets up when we do. Now for the really fun part: A few times, we woke up and got her to go to the bathroom, because, our senses- since you can’t do that, I don’t know whether she’ll wake up on her own or not. She was sleeping pretty heavily those times.”

Chris sighs, and Allison nods.

Coming out with her shoes on and her clothes in her arms, Erica goes over to Allison.

“Here,” Chris takes the clothes, “I’ll carry those for you.”

Grabbing Erica’s hand, Allison says, “We’ll talk more about the possible druid, later.” She leads Erica out the door, and following, Chris shuts it behind them.

…

After they get to the penthouse, Allison sleeps uneasily and wakes to Erica leaving.

At school, she and Boyd pass each other in the hallway, and stopping, he looks at her with piercing yellow eyes for a long moment.

Later, she finds him, and before she can say anything, he says, “I know Erica went from the twins to you. If she sleeps with you during the winter, she’ll press her feet right up in the creases of the back of your knees if she doesn’t have on socks.”

Sitting down on the bench, she asks, “Did she tell you?”

“No. One of the twins did. She and I aren’t speaking, and the reasons why are between us.”

“They have different hands. I mean, one’s right-handed, and the other’s left-handed. The right-handed one, Ethan, is dating Danny, and Aiden, Lydia’s boyfriend, is left-handed.”

Giving her a surprised look, he makes eye contact and briefly nods.

“I won’t ask about your issues with her and vice versa,” she continues. “But can you tell me anything about all this?”

“Erica had violent night terrors, and this is the simplest solution there is. She’d wake up screaming and literally clawing herself. But when she started sleeping in bed with another person, they never came.”

“But sleeping with the people who had some responsibility in her having those night terrors-” Allison trails off.

He shrugs.

“I guess trauma usually doesn’t make much sense,” she offers. “Besides, Erica was never easy to understand even before the alphas and I happened.”

“I understand her too well,” Boyd says.

He leaves before she can respond.

…

“Erica.” Allison squeezes one of her hands. “I was wondering-”

Batting, Erica peers at her through golden, half-closed eyes. “You can talk during the day. Need sleep.”

…

Allison finds one of the twins, but his long sleeves cover his wrists.

“Aiden,” he says. “Thanks for taking Reyes off our hands. My brother and I are finally getting a good night’s sleep. Speaking of, how’s that going?”

“It’s going." Leaning against the wall, she studies him. “The girl you helped kidnap breaks into your apartment, undresses, and demands one of you share your bed, and your response is to just let her?”

“Would you have preferred we killed her? Even with not being alphas anymore, we could have. Easily.”

“No,” is her sharp response.

“Look, I’m trying really hard not to mess things up with Lydia. Reminding her I helped kidnap and almost kill two of her classmates and, then, adding the fact one of those classmates is practically naked in my room and demanding to non-sexually sleep with me or my brother- that would probably mess things up. We weren’t sure we could get a hold of Deucalion, and there weren’t any other options. Derek would have killed us the moment he found out she was near us, and both your Stiles friend and Lahey would have set Derek on us if he found out. Scott, we’re trying to stay on his good side, too. Danny doesn’t know about any of this.”

“What about me?”

Aiden scoffs. “Right. Call up a hunter and say, ‘Remember those two betas you kidnapped that we kidnapped after they escaped from you? Can you come finish the job for us, or at least, take her away and do something to keep her from coming back, we don’t care what?’”

“Point taken.” She frowns. “Why did you try so hard to keep my dad and I from knowing?”

“Again, Lydia. And also, it’s no secret you judge us for what we did to her and Boyd. You might have done worse than just mildly electrocuting my brother.”

“Even in a human, that wouldn’t come close to electrocution.”

“Yeah? Why don’t you try it, then?”

She takes a breath. “In the vault, did she ever have night terrors?”

“No. At least, I don’t think so. Obviously, neither of them ever slept very good, but if they had bad dreams, they kept it hidden.”

“What were they like in there?”

“She was brave, and he was quiet. She was stupid about it, too loud, always saying whatever she thought would piss us off the most, always trying to physically fight her way out. But brave. He was smart. I think, if she’d been less of an obvious fighter, they might have come up with some decent plans for escape. Why haven’t you ever asked them?”

“Guilt,” she answers.

“You’re not alone in that. Ethan and I don’t really feel it, especially me, but they both felt guilty for the other one being captured. Still do.”

…

As they’re fixing dinner, Chris says, “Allison. It’s been almost a week.”

“I know.”

“How long-”

“I don’t know. I’ve talked to Boyd and Aiden both. Erica isn’t trying to enact some plan. She’s a traumatised sixteen-year-old, and given her usual way of handling things since Derek bit her, this is a big improvement. She’s not going after my best friend or trying to wreck anyone’s life.”

He sighs. “Sweetheart, you can only do so much to help her. This isn’t your responsibility.”

“Part of it is. Everyone made mistakes, and no one’s innocent in this. Gerard wasn’t my fault. But I don’t get to say that wipes away my part in her hurting. I hurt her, I hurt Boyd, I hurt Isaac, I hurt you, and I hurt myself.”

“You didn’t hurt me, sweetheart.”

She gives him a look. “Yes, I did. You were terrified I was turning into Kate. To be honest, I’m afraid, now, that I was, too. Look, Dad- I know this isn’t a permanent solution. I graduate next year. Thankfully, being held back hasn’t stopped colleges from being interested in me. Going to back to France this summer sounds like a good idea. But until we can find a better way to help her start getting better, she’s sleeping with me. Look at it this way: At least, you can be sure I don’t have boys in my room.”

“No, just yet another werewolf.”

She frowns.

…

On Saturday morning, Allison wakes up at nine.

Sitting up, she looks down at Erica.

Moving the hair out of Erica’s face, and then, getting out of bed, she tosses Erica’s clothes into the closet and quietly shuts the door. Going back to bed, she gently shakes her. “Hey, Erica. Time to get up.”

Hazel eyes squint at her.

“Do you want some breakfast before you go?”

Rolling out of bed, Erica goes over to where her clothes were and tilts her head. “This is where I put them, right?”

“Erica, why do you need to sleep with someone?”

Starting to look, Erica says, “I know you talked to Boyd. I had night terrors. My mom and dad don’t know what to do with me. The last time, I had to literally squeeze underneath my bed. I was covered in scratches, and they weren’t healing. Plus, there was a lot of blood. I knew she’d come in any minute, because, I’d been screaming. When she couldn’t find me, she called my dad, they decided not to call the police, and she cried the rest of the night. Thankfully, my sheets were black, so, she didn’t see any of the blood. Now, as long as I come home in the morning for breakfast and after school for supper- they just let me do whatever. No questions, no guilt trips, nothing.”

“Seriously, where in the hell could clothes disappear to? That might change if I come home in a gown she’s never seen before.” Kneeling down, she peers under the bed.

“What- what are your night terrors about?”

There’s a knock on the door.

“Come in, Dad.”

He does.

“Erica can’t find her clothes.”

“I’m sure they’re around. Would you girls like some breakfast?”

Opening the closet, Erica sighs. “Found them!”

Grabbing them, she heads to the bathroom.

…

One night, Allison has a bad dream, and when she wakes up, she feels Erica staring at her.

“Sorry,” she says.

“What’d you dream about?”

“Personal.”

“It’s the being alone part,” Erica quietly says. “I dream of dying. About it. But I’ve been dreaming about dying since I was a little kid. Now, though, I’m all alone. I don’t know where anyone I care about is, if they’re still alive, if they’re okay, safe. That’s what scares me. I was about seven the first time a seizure almost killed me. But my mom and dad were there, and then, so were all these doctors and nurses and other people.”

“Oh,” Allison says.

“In the vault, one day, Ennis got this idea that, if they separated us, I’d be more quiet. Morrell told Deucalion it was a bad idea, but he let them do it. They took Boyd somewhere, and I don’t know if it’s true or not, but apparently, I almost died. All I know is, after I couldn’t fight off sleep anymore, I woke up in pain. There were scratches and bites all over me, and everything was blurry. They held me down and put herbs on me and forced more down my throat, and when I woke back up, Boyd was holding me. I’m still not sure one of the alphas didn’t do it, but after I clawed myself in my own room, I know there’s a possibility it really was me.”

Frowning, Allison asks, “Were the twins there when this happened?”

“I dunno. They didn’t really come into the vault that much.”

“I know it doesn’t do anything to make up for it, but I’m sorry.”

“What they did is worse than what you did.” Erica rolls over.

…

One night, Erica doesn’t come.

She doesn’t answer her phone, and after calling everyone else with no luck, Allison shows up at the twins’ apartment.

“Is Erica here?”

“No,” Ethan answers. 

She looks around. “Where’s your brother?”

“Out with Lydia. Speaking of, Danny’s about to come over. Am I going to need to cancel-”

“No. At least, I doubt it. Can you give me directions to the bank? I haven’t been there since-”

“You think she’d go back there?”

“I don’t know. If she decided to try to face her trauma-” She suggests.

“Or- Wait. Derek left town yesterday, right?”

“What does that have to do with anything,” she wearily asks.

“She said she liked sleeping with his uncle, right? But he threatened to kill his uncle. If he’s not around to kill him-”

Cursing, Allison withdraws her mini-crossbow and strides out.

…

Peter opens the door, and before he can speak, Allison pushes past him and starts opening doors.

“My bedroom’s down the hall, to the right. I assume you’re here for my nephew’s beta?”

Inside, Erica is curled up on the bed with a pink, well-worn teddy bear in her arms.

“It’s hers,” Peter says.

Jumping, Allison spins around, and he catches the arrow she fires. “Not very good safety, I see. Her abuela made it for her. She sleeps better with it, but she was afraid you or the twins might take or destroy it.”

“It wasn’t enough, though?”

“No. When she sleeps with someone, she doesn’t remember the bad dreams. They don’t wake her or cause her to harm herself. But she always has them. Nothing she does will fully vanquish them.”

“Your concern for a sixteen-year-old girl is what-” She starts with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

He looks at her with wolf blue eyes. “Do you know much about regular wolves, Miss Argent? They’re very social animals. When one is wounded or sick, they don’t leave it. They protect it, bring food, take it to water, regurgitate the food and water, if necessary. Cuddle around it, and even groom it. I have absolutely no sexual attraction to any sixteen-year-olds. She is a wolf, and she is part of my pack.”

Looking past her, he smiles. “I wonder, sometimes, if she wasn’t always, even as a sickly human.”

“Stiles told me that some legends say epilepsy is a sign someone will be a werewolf later in life,” she says.

“Yes. I’ll give your family this: They did protect disabled humans from such harmful beliefs.”

Allison glances over at Erica. “You care about her.”

“Yes. Just as I cared about my family.”

She takes a breath. “What Kate did was horrible. It didn’t give you the right to go on a killing spree. It didn’t give you the right to bite Lydia and Scott and mentally torment her for weeks. Even with what she did, it didn’t give you the right to kill Kate.”

Scoffing, he smirks at her. “You still think anything is about ‘right’? No wonder Gerard was so easily able to manipulate you for his own goals. You see, the reason Erica here feels safe with me is, she and I both understand: The world will take from you, if you let it, and when others take from you, you take back what you can. Those people who took my family, my pack, they’re lucky I stopped at taking their lives instead of going after their loved ones.”

“You think you need to protect her from me? Worry about protecting yourself and your father, Allison Argent. She’s fragile, right now, and doesn’t know how to even begin to take back her sense of strength. She’ll learn. And when she does, do you think you helping her after you played a part in almost destroying her will matter? Do you honestly think she’ll spare a thought to the former?”

Giving him a hard look, she puts the mini-crossbow up, goes over, and gently shakes Erica. “Erica, wake up.”

Stirring, Erica blearily looks between them. “Why’s she here?”

“She has objections to our sleeping arrangement.”

“Wha? Want to sleep, now. Peter, make her go away.”

“Erica, you need to come with me.”

Sitting up, Erica blinks at her. “No. Why?”

“You’re not sleeping with Peter.”

“Am.”

“Erica-”

Yawning, Erica shakes her head. “What are you doing here, Allison?”

“Trying to find you.”

“Well, you found me. Derek left town earlier. I haven’t done anything to your friends or the twins.” Erica pauses, and then, smirks. “I haven’t done anything that can be proven to the twins.”

“Erica, Peter is a killer.”

“So? You say that like it’s supposed to mean something. So’s your dad, Derek, the twins, and your aunt. Your mom might have been, too. She definitely tried. Plus, Jackson. I’m sure there’s more. He didn’t tie me and Boyd up with electricity or keep us in a vault or shoot arrows at us.”

“Erica-” Allison looks at the bed.

“Here,” Peter says.

They look over, and he pushes a chair over. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

Allison sits down. “I won’t defend what Kate did or what my mom tried to do. My dad has only killed when there was no other choice. When innocent people were being hurt and there was no place that could hold the people hurting them. When it was a matter of self-defence or the only way to protect someone in that moment.”

“Peter is a monster, Erica. I’m not saying that because of my aunt, Scott, or even all those humans he killed. Kate was a monster, too. I don’t know why he bit Scott, but- I don’t know. If you think those people being involved in the fire justifies what he did, I won’t argue with you. But think about Lydia.”

“Yeah, I tried to kill her, too, so.”

“He didn’t try to kill her. Derek asked all of you if you wanted the bite. He told you what the risks were. You chose it. Peter didn’t ask Lydia. The bite made you healthy. It made her sick, Erica. She was literally going crazy. It was psychological torture. Before that, she was running around naked and bleeding in freezing cold weather. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve ever liked her. It doesn’t even matter if she did something to hurt you before. What did she have to do with his family being killed?”

“Stiles. And oh, yeah, your aunt." At Allison’s surprised look, she explains, “Your aunt took Derek. Stiles could have found him. You could have done something." 

"But neither of you did, did you? So, who has Stiles been in love with since forever? Lydia. Her life for his last family member that your family member had chained up with electricity in the house she burnt down. Peter would have killed her if Stiles didn’t help. And you know what? Sounds fair enough to me.”

Allison takes a sharp breath.

“Yeah, so, I don’t have any tests tomorrow, and my homework’s all done. If you want to go all night, we can. But until Derek comes back, I’m staying with Peter.”

“You remember how you once said you were psychic? I-”

“I said kind of. You proved your point, okay? I know that you coming after me with arrows is a sign I’m frelled.”

“Frelled?”

“I’ve been watching a lot of Farscape lately.”

“Right. That wasn’t the point I was trying to make. When I went to see Lydia in the hospital, she was clean and dressed in a hospital gown. Her wound had been bandaged. But when I first saw her, I saw- I’m not sure how to explain it. There was blood everywhere. She was- it was terrifying and disturbing, and seeing my friend like that, Kate kept insisting all werewolves hurt people like that. I’m not trying to excuse what I did to you and the others.”

“Lately, I keep feeling like Kate is still alive. It’s- not really wishful thinking. I know, however much I can’t help missing her, everyone else is better off with her dead. More than that, though, ever since the ice baths, we’ve all been having weird, disturbing dreams.”

Erica shakes her head. “Boyd told Isaac that was a stupid idea and that, you, Stiles, and Scott would regret it, but no, don’t listen to the one person in this damn town that has managed to avoid psychological damage.”

“Including Peter?”

“He went on a murder spree, killed his niece, was killed by his nephew, and mind-whammied a sixteen-year-old girl into bringing him back to life. All that happened because some psycho, all offence intended, burned his house down with him and almost his entire family inside. I know he’s dangerous, Allison, and I get he’s done some horrible things. I know I might not always be safe with him, because, being pack doesn’t suddenly make us family, and you know, again, killed one of his actual family.”

“Morrell said something about either me or Boyd or both of us having limited capacity for empathy. Probably me, and I have no problem admitting she was right. He’s never hurt me, and ignoring all the stuff he did that doesn’t actually affect me, I like him. He’s funny, he listens, and it feels good when he’s wrapped around me. I need sleep, and compare him to my other options of people who kidnapped me.”

“I mean, to make it pathetic, he actually likes having me around. The twins could have killed me the first time I broke in. I was sure you or your dad would. You only agreed because you- I don’t know.”

“I have more-or-less the same objections to them that I have to him: They’re killers.”

“I don’t know about you, but give me time.”

Allison rubs her temples. “Erica, if you have plans to kill someone-”

“Not currently. Just, as much as it sucked when it was me and the others you were going after, I understood you better then. You and Stiles try so hard to go with Scott’s ‘can’t kill’ rule when, sometimes, killing’s the best option. I’m not afraid of taking it. Or okay, I’m afraid of you and your arrows and kanima venom, but not the killing part.”

“Genuine curiosity: Are these your words or Derek or Peter’s?”

“I tended to think this way even before I got the bite.”

Allison’s phone chimes. Looking at the caller id, she groans. “Hey, Dad.”

“Allison, where are you?”

“With Erica.”

“And where is Erica?”

“We’ll talk later. Bye, Dad. Love you.” She hangs up.

“You know he’s going to track your phone, right?”

Allison shrugs. “Have you ever been afraid of turning into your parents, Erica?”

“Not really. My mom can be majorly passive-aggressive while still being the type who claims she hates passive-aggressiveness, and my dad is mildly racist. Despite him being Mexican and my mom coming from a Cuban family, he’s glad I’m not friends with Boyd anymore, because, even ignoring the whole running away together thing, it was obvious I was falling in love with him, and he doesn’t believe interracial relationships are a good thing. But otherwise, they’re good people, and I’ve always loved and respected them. We used to be close before I went missing for almost four months.”

“My mom told me that, as long as I was strong, they wouldn’t ‘have’ to kill a sixteen-year-old boy,” Allison says.

“I wish you had been. Your stupid little Romeo and Juliet with Scott was what got us all into this mess.”

Allison’s phone buzzes. Looking down, she sighs, and it chimes. “Hey, Dad.”

“I won’t ask where you are. Are you and Erica safe, sweetheart?”

“We’re fine.”

“You have your car?”

“Yeah. I’ll come home soon.”

“I love you, Allison.”

“I love you, too.”

Erica yawns. “You might as well leave now. I’m staying.”

Covering her eyes, Allison takes a deep breath. “If you change your mind, you have my number, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I want you to add my dad’s and our home number, too.”

“Seriously?”

“Do you want me to leave faster?”

Rolling her eyes, Erica gets her phone off Peter’s nightstand and adds the numbers Allison gives.

Allison takes the chair to the living room.

Peter opens the door for her, and when she comes over, he says, “If it’s any comfort, your father had to learn, too. It’s not wise to care for monsters, and when they don’t pose a threat, it’s best to leave them to their own company.”

“She’s not a monster,” Allison snaps.

A shoe hits her head, and Peter grabs her wrist before she can withdraw her mini-crossbow.

She turns to find Erica glaring at her.

“I’m going to be mature and ignore that.”

“It’s not mature to say things you don’t believe just to-”

“What do you think I’ve lied about tonight, Erica?”

“That night in the vault, when you stupidly let us go instead of knocking us out-”

“I didn’t have anything to knock you out with.”

“And your dad and the others got the dumb idea to trap us in the boiler room instead of knocking us out-”

“No argument from me,” Allison mutters.

“Why didn’t you bring anything to knock us out with?”

“I didn’t think it would be necessary, and after what I did, I thought it would be best not to show up with weapons.”

“Always have weapons on you,” Peter says. “I know, I sound remarkably like your father, but he’s right. If you’re going to interject yourself into the supernatural world, assume everything and everyone is a threat, and always try to be prepared for it.”

“Anyway, feral on moon rage or not, I could still hear you, even if I didn’t exactly understand or care what I was hearing right then. ‘I’m not the one turning teenagers into monsters.’ That’s what you said.”

Allison lets out a breath. “Erica.” She moves back towards her. “I didn’t mean that. I was hurt and angry and scared. I know you, Isaac, and Boyd aren’t monsters. I know Derek and Jackson aren’t, either.”

Erica studies her. “Really? You don’t believe that?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t believe you’re a monster.” Touching Erica's hand, she says, “When Derek bit you and the others, I didn’t know what to think. I wasn’t sure how I felt. Scott was so insistent that it was bad, and I loved and trusted him. He was a werewolf. Add that to all the other crazy stuff that happened, and I went with what he thought and wanted.”

“And now?”

“Derek didn’t do anything wrong, and I know you not being happy right now isn’t because of the bite. I’m really not thrilled one of the things you tried to do after you became a werewolf was trying to kill my best friend, and I didn’t appreciate you trying to seduce my boyfriend, but it was nice seeing you healthy and having fun.”

She gives a slight smile. “I don’t know if Isaac ever told you, but Scott and I destroyed a piece of evidence that would have given the police motive. I never believed he killed his dad. And when hunters were going to poison him with wolfs bane in the station, I helped stop them. Even if I thought he had killed his dad, I wouldn’t have let them hurt him.”

“Yeah, I know all about the fridge,” Erica says with her eyes flashing.

“Look, in your place, I wouldn’t believe me, either. I can never take back what I did. But I’m stronger, now, and I’m not going to just go along with whatever opinions Scott or my dad or anyone else has. If someone needs to be protected, and like it or not, werewolves can fall under that category, I’m going to try to protect them. That includes you. If I have to stop you someday, I will, but I hope that day never comes. I hope you can be happy again someday.”

Erica looks past her. “Take care of Ernie for me? I’ll be back soon.”

Peter nods.

Linking her fingers through Allison’s, Erica says, “Alright, let’s go.”

“You’re coming with me?”

“The funny thing is, church has never been a big part of my life, but somehow, the crazy Catholics in my family have transferred some of that good ole fashion Catholic guilt onto me. I never felt guilty sleeping with Boyd, but even with the gay twin, it was there.”

She leads Allison over to the door.

Reopening it, Peter puts a hand on the back of Erica’s neck and kisses her forehead.

“Don’t you need your clothes,” Allison asks.

“Peter picked me up like this. You’ll need to stop at my house so I can get some.”

Allison gives Peter a hard stare as she leads Erica out.

He shuts the door once they’re out.

…

Pursing her lips, Lydia says, “Let me get this straight: I had to learn from Aiden that Erica Reyes has been sleeping in your bed due to having night terrors if she sleeps alone.”

“It’s Erica’s business,” Allison points out. “I meant what I said when I promised not to keep important things from you, but I thought it was implied that meant things that affected you. This doesn’t involve you, Lydia.”

“Except for the fact, it turns out, she was sleeping naked in my boyfriend’s room!”

“In his brother’s bed, and she wasn’t naked.” A smile crosses her face. “Boyfriend?”

Making a sound of irritation, Lydia says, “It’s good you don’t seem to be disapproving.”

“I’m never going to trust him, and I don’t think I’ll ever particularly like him, but I do believe he’s sincere about his feelings for you. Plus,” she squeezes Lydia’s hand, “I can tell how much you like him beyond sex.”

“I do, don’t I,” Lydia muses. “How in the hell did that happen?”

Allison shrugs.

“Regardless, a werewolf who once tried to kill me is sleeping in my best friend’s bed.”

“She’s not going to hurt me, and I won’t let her hurt you.”

“What if you and I want to have a girl’s night?”

“I’ll get Scott to keep quiet about her sleeping with Isaac for the night.”

“Hypnosis,” Lydia declares. “My mom saw one to quit smoking, and when I was going through my nail biting phase, she did wonders to help me.”

“Remember when we had to stop Erica from killing Morrell? I don’t think that urge has disappeared.”

“You don’t have to be a licensed mental health professional to perform hypnosis. I can try it.”

“Assuming she agrees, are you sure that’s safe? I know you’re a genius, but-”

“It’s not dangerous. Either a person can do it, or they can’t. If they can’t, there aren’t negative side-effects to the attempt.”

“Positive?”

“Allison. Sweetie. I wouldn’t suggest trying something potentially dangerous when it comes to a werewolf unless it was necessary to stop a bigger danger. Having one invading beds for non-sexual purposes is a nuisance, at best, and there are far more effective ways to permanently stop it than hypnosis. Most of those ways, however, are objectionable on various moral grounds.”

“I’ll try to talk to her about it.”

“Or I-”

“She doesn’t like either of us, but right now, she’s way more receptive to me than she would be to you.”

“Hmm.”

…

In the science lab after school, Erica says, “You know, I get that you have good reason to not like Peter, but he knows more about werewolves than you. Being together makes us stronger.”

Lydia motions for Allison to stay quiet. “I’m sure it does. Aiden’s told me a little about pack bonds. Not being able to sleep by yourself at all, however, is in a different ballpark. You need to be strong on your own, Erica. That way, being with your pack will truly enhance your strength and theirs.”

“I’m stronger than you,” is the petulant reply.

“Physically. Ever since Peter evacuated my head, I haven’t had debilitating night terrors that cause me to self-harm.”

“Okay. Explain this to me again.”

“I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to. Even if I manage to successfully hypnotise you, you might not be able to sleep alone until after several sessions. Hypnosis…”

…

At a lacrosse game, Chris sits down next to Peter. “Can they hear us?”

“They’re not paying any attention,” Peter answers. “Hello, Christopher.”

They watch Boyd spin Erica around. When he puts her down, she gives him a quick kiss, and then, kisses Isaac’s cheek. Near them, Allison is talking to Scott and Isaac.

“She won’t kill for you, now.”

“A shame. You and your daughter think you were helping her. If I have to kill her and the two boys and force Derek to make new betas, I will. And I’ll keep doing it until every member of the Hale pack is willing to kill for it. If I have to-” He pauses. “Kill Derek himself, I will. Look what my sister’s weakness wrought. Never again, Argent.”

Near a bench where the twins are talking to Danny and Lydia, one of them turns and stares straight at the two.

They stay silent until he turns back.

“You aren’t the only one who’s come to realise how weak your family was, Peter. I should have listened to what I knew when I was my daughter’s age. I should have been strong like she is. If not for her- I shouldn’t have married Victoria. If you go after them or Derek, we’ll stop you, and we’ll make sure you stay down.”

Peter puts his hand on the back of Chris’s neck. “You can’t help it, Chris. Your family has been creating monsters since the day a true monster was slain. You always have, and you always will. She’ll learn, soon enough. Monster begets monster.”

Squeezing slightly, he stands up, lets go, and leaves.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes: Most, if not all, modern bunk beds have safety railing on the top bunk. Ethan and Aiden's is old, and they've never bothered to see about getting railing installed.


End file.
